


Café Stay

by WinterHoney



Category: Kim Woojin (Artist), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cafe Funiculi Funicula, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, M/M, Post-Break Up, Time Travel, Tissue Warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23565238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterHoney/pseuds/WinterHoney
Summary: Rumors around Café Stay says that one can time travel by sitting at one specific seat and must drink the coffee before it gets cold. Bang Chan heard and was ready to give up everything just for one coffee.
Relationships: Bang Chan & Kim Woojin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Café Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Japanese film "Cafe Funiculi Funicula". Please do watch the film as well! 

"Can you really time travel here?" Jisung, a regular at Cafe Stay, asked. Seungmin, the store owner, sighed. "You can only time travel by sitting at that seat," Seungmin said as he pointed at the occupied seat at the end of the cafe. 

"How though?" Jisung asked, "You just have to seat there when it's vacant and think hard about the time you want to go back to," he said simply. "The person sitting there is the only one who can go back in time though," Wonpil, Seungmin's cousin and co-ownder said. "I wanna try!" the squirrel looking boy said as he stood up and approached the boy who resembles like a fennic fox who were currently occupying the said seat.

"Excuse me, can I use this seat for a while," Jisung said as placed his hand on the customer's shoulder. Just in cue, both Seungmin and Wonpil screamed no but it was too late as Jisung had made contact with the said customer. He was transported in somewhat like a fully flooded cafe, he couldn't breathe and he removed his hand from the contact. "What was that?!" he screamed. "A curse," the cafe owners said in unison. "You can't force him to give up the seat, he's stuck there," the owner said as he takes the payment from another customer. "It's a curse when you overstayed, you end up being a ghost stuck in this cafe, so you have to drink the coffee before it gets cold," he added. "That short?" the squirrel asked in shocked, "but when can I use it if he's always there?" he added. "When he take a bathroom break," the co-owner said. 

A loud chime came from the cafe door and a panting blonde guy who seemed like he didn't sleep at all came into view. "Welcome!" Wonpil said welcoming the customer. "Time travel," he said while staring at Seungmin. "You have to wait," he said firmly and went back to work. The disgruntled blondie sat at the counter table and waited. Jisung sat next to him. 

It was past 5PM when the ghost stood up and took a bathroom break, Seungmin woke up Jisung and the blondie who fell asleep waiting for the seat to be vacant. Jisung looked at the guy and said "You can take the seat, It looks like you need it more than I do," he said with a meek smile which earned a nod from the said blondie. 

Seungmin took everything he needed and made the blonde guy seat on the already vacant chair. "I'm Chan by the way," he said politely but tired. "I came here about a 6 months ago with another guy," he started. "You can't go outside the cafe when you go back. You can only stay here and interact with the people who were at the cafe," Seungmin started. "You need to drink all the coffee before it gets cold." he added. "He died," Chan said quite broken. Seungmin hid his shock, "If you go back, even if you change things there, it wouldn't change what happened in the present," he softly reminded as he added somewhat like a thermometer and timer in one. Chan nodded and let out a soft okay. 

The owner slowly poured the hot water at the ground coffee placed on a coffee filter. The drip coffee slowly filled the cup and placed it gently. "Remember, drink the coffee before it gets cold," Seungmin's voice echoed as Chan drifts off into a sleep state, almost drowning at the fully flooded cafe. 

"Woojin" he said softly as he woke up at the desired date, October 27, a day before Woojin's accident. "Hmm?" the bear hummed as he took a sip of his coffee. Seungmin looked at him and took notice how there's a thermometer a stared at the couple worriedly. Chan straightly looked at Woojin and a tear left his eye, "Are you okay?" Woojin asked. "Yeah, just got something in my eye," he laughed. Woojin gave him a warm smile and continued drinking his coffee. 

Chan glanced worriedly, it was just about time where Woojin would sigh and tell Chan that he will be leaving. They've been arguing about him leaving for as long as Chan could remember, he didn't want the elder to leave him alone and they never get a resolution to the issue. "Are you leaving me?" he asked. Woojin sighed and looked down "I'm sorry,". Originally the younger went mad and stood up leaving the elder. He regretted it a lot, not saying 'good bye' or 'take care', he regretted every second of it and has replayed the same scenario for 6 months. He blames himself for everything, maybe if he had listened well enough Woojin would still be here. "I'm leaving to New York, I've planned this for like half a year already, you know that. I don't think I'll ever get another offer like this. Hell it's a scholarship for Music Production in New York," he explained calmly holding Chan's hand. The latter knows the elder was already tired explaining the same thing over and over again. 

The younger held on tight. He hadn't seen, talked nor held Woojin, he couldn't do that anymore either. He looked up, seeing the elder showing a very apologetic smile. "You decided this for so long but you haven't told me that you were this fixed, just a day before you leave... I thought I could still make you stay," the blonde trailed on. "I know you would ask me to stay, I couldn't afford to ask you to come to me either," he said, rubbing soft circle on Chan's hand. "You had so much things to do here and I can't ask you to leave everything behind just for me," the blond stared at him. "You could've asked, I'd come with you," he said as tears roll down his cheeks. Woojin wiped it off and held Chan's face. "I'd stay with you, please stay," Chan broke down, repeating his words over and over again as he held Woojin's hand tighter. The elder stood up and went to the younger's side, giving him a tight hug. Chan broke down even more, it was 6 long months of grieving and regret. 

"I love you so much," he said. "I know," the elder replied, stroking Chan's hair as he still hug him tightly. "I know that you understand as well why I had to do this, please don't make it harder than it already is," he said. Chan cried harder, "I know," he said. 

"You know, I have something for you," the elder said as he detached himself slowly. He took something from his pocket, a small box enough to fit a ring. Chan got confused, his tears stopped momentarily and a wave of shock and realization hit him. His heart strings began to detach one by one. The pain of a heartbreak washes over him as he realized that Woojin was supposed to be proposing to Chan the day before he went to New York. "This isn't much but I just want you to have this," he said as he open the box, "Before I go, I want to leave you a reminder and a promise. A promise that after this, I'll come back and marry you," he said as he pull the ring out of the box and presented it infront of Chan. 

The younger covered his mouth in shock, Chan regretted so much. "Yes," he said shakingly as he stared at the ring. Nothing much would change even if he had accepted it but he wanted to let Woojin go with the thought that he'd marry him. "I'll marry you," Chan said as he hugged Woojin tigher. He heard the bear laugh as he hugged back and stroke the younger's back softly as possible. The latter knew he probably looks the ugliest right now as he was crying non-stop. Chan regretted running off, he let his assumptions get him first before logic. Even though nothing changes here as Woojin will still get caught in an accident tomorrow morning, Chan lived the moment of being with the bear as long as he can. His heart was somewhat free from guilt although not entirely, the latter didn't want to break up, he wanted to give Chan a promise which he never got to say on the original timeline. He felt stupid yet relieved. 

"I'll go pay the bill so we can go home afterwards and spend the day together," the bear said as he slowly stood up and made his way to the counter. As if on cue, the alarm went off in a very annoying way. "Shut up," Chan said softly to the thermometer but it continued blaring, "Shut up!" he said almost shouting at the item. He looked over the counter where the elder was smiling softly, his cheeks quite rosy and his little fangs coming out perfectly. His eyes that sparkles as if it has the whole universe in it. Woojin was happy with the outcome but Chan didn't know whether he was happy as much as Woojin is. The alarm kept ringing and Chan made a last minute decision in sprinting at the counter, hug Woojin and kiss him as if there's no tomorrow. Only that there's nothing after this. 

The elder was shocked yes but he held Chan like it was the most fragile thing and kissed him softly. "You have to go back now," Seungmin said frantically as he tapped Chan at the shoulder. He detached himself and hugged the elder one more time. "It's time," Chan thinks he misheard the elder when he whispered to him after kissing his forehead. "Drink the coffee," Seungmin said in wide eyes. The blondie was confused more than ever, looking at Woojin, hearing Seungmin's frantic chants and the blaring alarm. The elder gave him a reassuring nod, "Go get your things," he said while smiling softly. "Drink the coffee now!" the owner rushed, almost screaming. He looked at Woojin again, then at the coffee. Wiping his tears, he rushed back to his seat and drank the coffee. 

"I love you Chan!" He heard last time before being plunged back into a fully flooded cafe. Tears were still in his face as he gasped for air. He heard several sighs of relief coming from Jisung, Seungmin and Wonpil. He cried his eyes out again when he saw a ring on his finger, before he only lost his boyfriend but now he lost his fiance. The owners and Jisung just stared at him worriedly. In time, the customer sitting at the seat before Chan came out of the restroom and made his way to the seat. Forcing Chan out. 

"Are you okay?" Seungmin asked non-chalantly as he cleaned the table and passing Chan a couple of napkins. Wonpil served the coffee to the fox looking customer who is now seated at the table. The blondie couldn't find the words he would want to say. It was between thank you and self pity and he just stared at thin air crying for what seems like a tireless routine for him these past months. He got the answers he wanted and the chance to say what he wanted to say. Seungmin offered him water which he gladly took and drank. 

"Did you get the closure you wanted?" the owner asked, Chan only nodded and wiped off his tears getting his phone and opening it. He saw his wallpaper, a soft photo of Woojin waving at the camera with a bright smile which Chan hugging him on the side like a little kid. He smiled at the photo and dried his tears one last time. "Thank you," he said as he took his bag, paid for the drink and went out to visit the elder's resting place. 

"Guess I'll try tomorrow or something, I'm off," Jisung said as he paid for his drinks and went out as well. Wonpil just finished washing the dishes and drying them off as he look at the customer on the rumored seat and back at Seungmin. "Don't look at me like that," Seungmin said as he wave off Wonpil. 

They ended the day as usual, cleaning counter tops and tables. Wonpil went out first leaving Seungmin alone at the restaurant finishing the last details before closing. When he was done he stared at the customer again, "Good night," he said and went out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you like this AU, please do let me know if you want me to do other members too or maybe a background on who is the cursed customer or smth. Please let me know if you like it! Thank you so much!


End file.
